Rubber tire for vehicles.



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WILLIAM W. WILDMAN AND EDGAR A.\TINSMAN, 0F BARBERTON, OHIO7 ASSIGNORS TO'TI-IE PORTAGE RUBEER COMPANY, OF BARBERTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

Application filed May 25, 1914.

To all 'whom it may concern.' c

Be it knoWn that We, lViLLIAM W. VILD- MAN and EDGAR A. TiNsMAN, citizens of the United States, residing at Barber-ton, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented ce'rfain new and useful lmprovements in Rubber rll`ires for` Vehicles, of which the following is a speciiication.

rl`his invention has reference to rubber tires, and the invention consists in what is known as a solid rubber tire having stiff rubber strips embedded and vulcanizedin the base thereof and adapted to secure the tire on a clencher rim and to prevent undue stretching of the tire, all as hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claim.

ln the accompanying drawings yl*`igure l is a cross section of the tire on the line of one of the reinforcing strips. F ig. 2 is a sider a bottoni or inside viewv of said section and Fig. o is a horizontal plan view of said section substantially through the middle length -wise. Fig. (3 is a modiiication showing the hard rubber strips directly across instead of diagonal as in Fig. 1l. f

ln explanation of the invention as thus disclosed it will of course be understood that the ordinary hard rubber is brittle and Will break very easily, and for this reason the composition We are using in the base of our new tire is of such consistency or quality that it can be compressed enough to cause the base of the tire to enter the clencher rim and then spring back under the rimy in such a Way that the tire will be held tightly in said rim, the said rim being iirst put on the vehicle wheel ready to receive the tire, as usual.

The only really successful solid tires of the kind to which this invention relates that We are familiar with have steel pins or Wires inserted diagonally through the rubber base, because if these Wires were put in straight across the base it would be impossible to get the base down in the clencher rim. But tires with rods or Wires of this kind in the base are not satisfactory for different reasons and particularly because there is a considerable vibration in the base of suoli tires and in time the said rods, of whatever size, cut the rubber or enlarge the holes around the rods to such an extent that the rods really do but Specification of Letters Patent.

RBBER TIRE FOB VEHICLES.

Patented J an. 25, 31916.

serial no. 840,674.

little good. We also are aware that cushion or solid tires are now being made in Which the entire base in circumference is hard rubber, but such tires must be applied to Wheels Where removable flanges or fasten-` ings are used by being bolted on each side of the tire to hold it on the Wheel, and the hard rubber being continuousaround the circumference of thetire it will not permit such af tire to be stretched, Whereas a tire madey along the lines of the present invention permits the tire to be stretched over the clencher rim and it is not necessary to have a rim Where the side clencher can be loosened or removed.

Another point about this invention is, that the semihard or stiff rubber strips are prefer-y ably put on diagonally, that is, not right straight across the base but inclined to a directly transverse line. When the said rubber strips or `pieces are put on in this manner it Will be harder to compress the Whole base of the tire any distance and the tire will not be so easily stretched in the circumference as if the'hard rubber were put on the base right straight across. Another advantage is that the standard tire applying tools can be used to apply tires With our improvement the same as are now generally used with clencher rims, and when the tires of our invention are Worn out or discarded they can be disposed of to the rubber scrap dealer at a much better price than those which contain metal in the base.

New, referring to the drawings the tire a, in any event is designed to he of the socalled solid type, but this term is to be liberally construed so that it shall cover tires adapted to be bodily slipped over or upon a Wheel having clencher rims. Hence the terms coinpressible or stretchable, whichy would mean elastic, semi-hard or yielding are fairly descriptive of the kind of rubber used and are intended to cover the same quality or condition of rubber. Obviously no one word expresses the state of the rubber best adapted to this use, because in order to have a measure of resilience along with durable service on the road the tire should be more or less yielding but not too flexible or compressible. Yet to spring the tire over clencher rims it must stretch and yield enough to make such engagement. Marginal descriptive terms are therefore employed. The said tire comprises homogeneous strips 2, which also are definable in various terms more easily than in a single one, for the reason that While said strips are substantially rigid or stiff, so as to serve the purpose of the practically rigid steel cross Wires heretofore used, the said strips notwithstanding should possibly iieX somewhat under severe strain Without breaking or pulling out of the clencher rim. Furthermore, they are hard or what might be called semi-hard and yet firm and strong enoughto lock the tire permanently in the rim. The said strips also are of greater .Width than thickness and are both embedded inthe base of the tire and vulcanized therein iiush with the surfacel of the tire and homogeneous therewith. Hence there is no Wear and tear in the tire as there always is With metal rods. The said strips also are preferably placed diagonally to the circumference of the base or direction of travel as hereinbefore set forth, and the ends arebent completely over and into the side extensions, beads or projections 3 at the base of the tire at either side thereof as shown in F ig. 1. This gives the said strips a double strength in said beads oi' projections at the point Where the strain is greatest, and thus We not only provide a. substitute for the WiresY or Vrods heretofore used for the same purpose but which by reason of the Width and strength and doubledends of said strips makes a decided improvement over Wire rods or their equivalent in metal. But there is also another function in the present strips which is material and entirely nen7 and original with us, and which consists in the prevention of over stretching of the tire. One of the greatest troubles With a cushion or solid tire of this general lrind is its nat-V .the danger, so that-before long the tire may become too large for the steel rim onWhich 1t is mounted. lThis is a very common and vvery objectionable fault, and it islargely overcome b ythe stri s we em alo Whether they be placed diagonally or straight across,

because at least half or more'of such stretch is prevented by said strips. Of course, the strips are made of non-stretchable rubber and being bodily incorporated in the base by vulcanization they become a permanent portion of the part of the tire Where the trouble has heretofore occurred. 7e might, of course, Widen the said strip above what is shown and still further reduce this tendency, but strips placed about as shown seem to provide for all needed precaution in this particular as Well as being thoroughly effective as means to coniine the tire on the rim.

What We claim is:

A rubber tire of the solid type `and slightly stretchable having side enlargements along its base and semi-hard non stretchable rubber strips vulcanized into said base at regular intervals and the ends of said strips substantially hook shape and engaged over said side enlargements of the base vand said strips diagonally disposed transversely of the tire and flush with the surface thereof. l Y

In testimony whereof We aifiX our signatures in presenceof tWo Witnesses.

VILLIAM W. WILDMAN. EDGAR A, TINSMAN. Witnesses: I

Z. GRIFFITH, D. A. DOYLE, JR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for vecents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

